Despite numerous incidents and high-profile fires involving lithium-ion batteries on its new 787 Dreamliner passenger jet, aerospace giant Boeing Co. defended installing the technology on the plane and vowed to quickly determine what went wrong. The 787 has been grounded since Jan. 16 by the Federal Aviation Administration because of problems with onboard lithium-ion batteries. Investigators around the world are looking into the matter. In a conference call announcing Boeing's fourth-quarter earnings, Chief Executive James McNerney said the company is working with customers and the regulatory agencies to get the matter resolved but is not permitted to comment directly on the ongoing investigations.

Most electric vehicles are best used as second cars, given their short range and long recharging times. Now comes the Innova Dash -- a "third car" that lies somewhere between a golf cart and a passenger vehicle. “It's meant to be more of a third-car option than a primary vehicle,” said Marta Cyhan, Innova's U.S. managing director. “This is for people to try out, rather than [opt for] complete substitution.” PHOTOS: Plugging in: Electric cars Innova, an early-stage company based in Oak Brook, Ill., starts taking orders on the mini-electric car today and expects to deliver them starting in October.

The investigation into battery problems on the much-heralded Boeing 787 Dreamliner expanded to the plane's Japanese battery manufacturer and the Arizona makers of other electronic components. Federal Aviation Administration officials Monday joined authorities in Japan who are looking into the manufacturing process at the Kyoto maker of the lithium-ion battery that caught fire on two recent Dreamliner flights, prompting the FAA last week to ground the plane. Federal regulators have already eliminated one potential cause of the battery problems: The National Transportation Safety Board concluded over the weekend that a battery that caught fire on a Dreamliner in Boston was not overcharged.

“These are not your grandma's Priuses.” So began Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at Monday's press conference announcing Formula E racing was coming to the city. The open-wheel race series will make 10 stops around the world in its inaugural year, with L.A. expected to host a race in late 2014 or early 2015. Indeed, the cars used in these races are indeed nothing like Priuses. Capable of speeds up to 140 mph, race organizers said these fully electric cars are built to demonstrate to the public that EVs don't have to be boring or slow.

Justin Bieber turned 18 on Thursday and to celebrate, his manager surprised him with a Fisker Karma -- a $100,000 electric car whose sporty physique belies its eco-friendliness. Bieber's manager, Scott Braun, presented the Canadian pop star with the car on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show ," of all places. "We wanted to make sure, since you love cars, that when you're on the road you are always looking environmentally friendly," Braun said as DeGeneres beamed in the background.

Chances are the same kind of battery that twice caught fire in Boeing 787 Dreamliners in recent weeks is in your pocket at this very moment. Lithium ion batteries, small and powerful, have become the electricity storage device of choice. They are everywhere -- in cellular phones, laptops, power tools, even cars. They allow us to talk, email and drill longer than ever possible in the past. But the incidents that led to the grounding of the 787 fleet worldwide, and the decision by Boeing on Friday to temporarily halt all deliveries of the plane, have highlighted a troubling downside of these energy-dense dynamos: their tendency to occasionally burst into flames.

After ongoing lithium-ion battery problems grounded the worldwide fleet of Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliners, European rival Airbus has scrapped plans to use the technology on its new jet. The A350 XWB wide-body passenger jets will instead use “the proven and mastered” nickel cadmium main batteries, the company said Friday. “Airbus considers this to be the most appropriate way forward in the interest of program execution and A350 XWB reliability,” the company said. The A350 XWB, set to enter service in 2014, seats 270 to 350 passengers in typical three-class layouts.

Computer makers are recalling 100,000 laptop battery packs made by Sony Corp. after 40 reports of overheating, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The recall applies to Sony 2.15Ah lithium-ion cell batteries made in Japan and sold in laptops made by Hewlett-Packard Co., Dell Inc. and Toshiba Corp. Some incidents involved smoke or flames, according to Sony. Details, including laptop model numbers, are posted on the commission's website at www.cpsc.gov.

After investigating a fire that broke out on Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner passenger jet, the National Transportation Safety Board said backup protections in the aircraft's lithium ion batteries and electronics systems have failed. Speaking to reporters Thursday from Washington, NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman said the agency hasn't reached a conclusion on the cause of the fire that occurred in Boston on Jan. 7. But she added that the redundant safety systems installed by Boeing did not work.

Hyundai Motor Corp. says it will display a gas-electric hybrid version of its Sonata sedan at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. The auto maker says it will announce at the show the date that the hybrid will be sold in the U.S. John Krafcik, vice-president for product development at Hyundai, says the hybrid Sonata can be powered by both gas and electric motors and will have new lithium-ion batteries.

The National Transportation Safety Board began a two-day investigative hearing in Washington into a fire that broke out on Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner passenger jet because of overheating in its lithium-ion battery systems. The NTSB still hasn't found a root cause of the fire that occurred Jan. 7 at Boston's Logan International Airport. Ahead of the hearing Tuesday, the board issued hundreds of pages of documents that show five years of history in the development and design approval of the battery system.

Boeing Co. said its planned fixes for the issues with its lithium-ion battery systems on the 787 Dreamliner passenger jet removes any related risk of a fire breaking out. Speaking to reporters from Tokyo, Boeing officials addressed concerns about its new flagship jet, which has been grounded worldwide since Jan. 16 after two incidents within two weeks involving the battery systems. FULL COVERAGE: Boeing's troubled Dreamliner Boeing's plan to fix to the 787 battery system involves insulating and spacing out parts, reducing charging levels so the battery cannot be overcharged and enclosing the lithium-ion batteries in stainless-steel cases so very little oxygen can get at them.

After ongoing lithium-ion battery problems grounded the worldwide fleet of Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliners, European rival Airbus has scrapped plans to use the technology on its new jet. The A350 XWB wide-body passenger jets will instead use “the proven and mastered” nickel cadmium main batteries, the company said Friday. “Airbus considers this to be the most appropriate way forward in the interest of program execution and A350 XWB reliability,” the company said. The A350 XWB, set to enter service in 2014, seats 270 to 350 passengers in typical three-class layouts.

After three weeks of being grounded due to safety concerns, the Federal Aviation Administration has allowed Boeing Co. to begin limited flight test activities with its 787 Dreamliner passenger jet. The principal purpose of the upcoming test flights will be to collect data about the plane's lithium-ion battery and electrical systems while the aircraft is airborne, the FAA said . The 787 has been grounded since Jan. 16 by the FAA because of...

Aerospace giant Boeing Co. has asked the Federal Aviation Administration to let it begin test flights on its grounded 787 Dreamliner passenger jet. The new plane has been grounded since Jan. 16 by the FAA because of numerous incidents and high-profile fires involving the onboard lithium-ion batteries. Investigators around the world are looking into the matter. The company disclosed its request for in-flight testing Monday in an email. “Boeing has submitted an application to conduct test flights, and it is currently under evaluation by the FAA,” said Marc Birtel, a company spokesman, who would not comment further.

Despite numerous incidents and high-profile fires involving lithium-ion batteries on its new 787 Dreamliner passenger jet, aerospace giant Boeing Co. defended installing the technology on the plane and vowed to quickly determine what went wrong. The 787 has been grounded since Jan. 16 by the Federal Aviation Administration because of problems with onboard lithium-ion batteries. Investigators around the world are looking into the matter. In a conference call announcing Boeing's fourth-quarter earnings, Chief Executive James McNerney said the company is working with customers and the regulatory agencies to get the matter resolved but is not permitted to comment directly on the ongoing investigations.

A century-old battery originally developed by Thomas Edison to power cars may find new life today with new electrodes developed at Stanford University that allow the battery to be charged and discharged much more rapidly than older versions of the device. The Edison battery, which uses nickel and iron electrodes immersed in an alkaline medium, uses cheap metals that are readily available. Unlike modern lithium-ion batteries, moreover, the Edison battery is unlikely to explode in a crash.

Aerospace giant Boeing Co. said it is confident it will get to the root cause of the battery problems with its problem-plagued 787 Dreamliner passenger jet. The company's newest plane has been grounded since Jan. 16 by the Federal Aviation Administration after experiencing problems with onboard lithium-ion batteries. In a conference call announcing Boeing's fourth-quarter earnings, Chief Executive James McNerney said the company is working with customers and the regulatory agencies to get the matter resolved but is not permitted to comment directly on the ongoing investigations.

After investigating a fire that broke out on Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner passenger jet, the National Transportation Safety Board said backup protections in the aircraft's lithium ion batteries and electronics systems have failed. Speaking to reporters Thursday from Washington, NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman said the agency hasn't reached a conclusion on the cause of the fire that occurred in Boston on Jan. 7. But she added that the redundant safety systems installed by Boeing did not work.